


Quick Draw

by Shaw



Series: Surviving Your Coworkers: A Cohesive Guide to Working in Blackwatch [8]
Category: Blackwatch - Fandom, Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Minor Violence, Missing Limbs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-13 14:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14750826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaw/pseuds/Shaw
Summary: Gabriel stood over Genji now, gun drawn and level with the man’s face. Genji had a set of shuriken finally drawn from the slots in his arm, but they flickered back and forth in place as he seemed to contemplate if he could stick Jesse without getting a bullet between his eyes.





	Quick Draw

It happened in a blur. If you had asked Jesse what exactly had happened he probably couldn’t tell you. All he could really recall was Genji popping him one right in the nose-- hard enough to send a jolt through him that left him incapable of reacting for a couple crucial seconds. In those few seconds as he blinked dumbly at Genji and registered the equally surprised look on the man’s face, his brain formulated a reaction. 

 

That reaction, if it wasn’t entirely clear, was to slam a retaliating punch into Genji’s jaw. It hit hard, hard enough to snap Genji’s head to the side. Alas, unlike most people Jesse punched in the face… Well, to say that his hand had exploded with pain would be a kind understatement. He felt like he’d shattered it.

 

Lihua’s jaw had dropped, her mouth a shocked ‘O’ as she watched Jesse lunged at Genji and bring them both to the ground in a heap. Gabriel stepped back as they rolled one another over, struggling to get the upper hand. If the look of genuine blankness on his face was anything to go by, he hadn’t exactly expected this either. 

 

Jesse did remember in the middle of it all that he had been on his back, staring up at Genji. Into those flaring red eye as a metal fist came back and threatened to end him right then and there. He remembered desperately shoving his hands into a free space where metal plates didn’t quite meet, fingers curling around wires and yanking. Yanking as hard as he could manage. Genji’s arm had spasmed, smacking his own face before falling completely limp. The sound he had made, filled with rage, hadn’t sounded quite human. 

 

Another flash of memory, the pounding of Jesse’s skull helping to keep it clear, was of Genji on his back. Jesse had been over him, one hand fisted in a tuft of black hair that felt like it was a mix of organic and synthetic material. The other had been coming down over, over, and over again. Against the rise of Genji’s cheekbone, against the ridge of his scarred brows, down into the dark pits where his eyes sat. 

 

It wasn’t until he was kicked square in the back of the head and hauled up that he came back to reality. Blood in his mouth, seeping into his vision, static crackling through his brain. He struggled against the arms holding him, every molecule in his body screaming to finish what he’d started. Eventually the shouting in his ear actually processed as words. 

 

“Jesse! Jesse, for fuck’s sake! Jesse McCree!” Lihua had him nearly lifted off the ground, which was no easy feat considering she was a good bit shorter than him and he had nearly 100 pounds on her. Nonetheless she was holding him back, grip tighter than a vice and voice piercing into the violent fog that was still lingering in the edges of his consciousness. He took a deep shuddering breath that felt like his first, as if he’d been submerged in water the entire time with no reprieve. 

 

Gabriel stood over Genji now, gun drawn and level with the man’s face. Genji had a set of shuriken finally drawn from the slots in his arm, but they flickered back and forth in place as he seemed to contemplate if he could stick Jesse without getting a bullet between his eyes. Gabriel growled something out that Jesse didn’t quite catch and the shuriken slowly retreated from whence they came, clicking softly as they did so. 

 

Where Jesse found himself now was in the medbay, Moira seeming as displeasured as always to have her services called for meager things like broken bones and busted noses. She had been none too gentle helping Jesse with his afflictions. Jesse would have cared more if he hadn’t also wanted to get this done and over with as soon as possible. Just before he was ready to be discharged from O’Deorain’s care, Lihua entered looking right pissed off. 

 

“Jesse…” She started. He instantly knew he was in for it. Lihua took a deep breath, running her hands over her face. Moira scoffed softly, turning her attention to something else for the time being. 

 

“If you’re here to give me a damn lecture, save your breath. I ain’t in the mood for it. I already know Reyes is gonna chew me out to Hell an’ back the second he can get his hands on me.” Lihua stared at him sharply from between the gaps of her fingers. Jesse’s mouth pressed to a thin line. 

 

“What the fuck.” Was all that came out of Lihua’s mouth next. Jesse blinked at her, she blinked back, and a span of silence ensued. She was waiting for a legitimate answer. 

 

“I don’t know.” He finally admitted, shifting on the thin sheet of paper that currently kept the seat of his pants from coming into contact with the cot beneath. It crinkled noisily in the quiet. Lihua rubbed her hands into her face once more before running them back through her hair with a deep inhale. 

 

“Doctor Ziegler looked like she was ready to murder someone when she saw what you did to the Million Dollar Man, you know.” She finally said. Moira’s gaze flickered to them at this. 

 

“You, did that? Hmph. I’m surprised you didn’t electrocute yourself.” Jesse shot her a sharp look; she shrugged apathetically before returning to her current work. Looked like lots of documents and paperwork of some sort. Jesse didn’t care too much. He turned his attention back to Lihua. 

 

“Not at the risk of sounding absolutely juvenile… but you two need to apologize to one another. I don’t give a shit what the Hell caused all of that, I just know it didn’t need to happen and you’re both assholes for it. I’m not saying you have to mean it, but you at least need to say it.” 

“...” Jesse remained silent at this. He supposed he would, mostly mean it. He didn’t know exactly what had gotten into him either. He hadn’t gotten into a fight like that since his early Blackwatch days, getting dragged in kicking and spitting. Maybe it was the stress, maybe he just really wanted to beat the shit out of someone. 

 

Pushing his uninjured hand through his hair, Jesse lowered his eyes to the ground and sighed. Once all the bones in his hand finished shifting around and healing properly he’d take a peek into Angela’s portion of the medical bay. He’d been there less and less now that they were actually putting Moira to work properly instead of letting her do what she wanted all the time. 

 

The process took a good bit of time, as it usually did when healing such injuries. Moira left half way through, knowing Jesse had enough experience with these types of injuries to handle himself; Lihua had excused herself nearly immediately, probably going to train her frustrations away before she got into it with Jesse as well. When said man could move his fingers properly he left, turning off the machinery that had been used to aid his recovery as he went. 

 

Athena let him in with no issues. Angela was nowhere to be seen for the time being but that didn’t mean he was going to let his guard down. He spied a couple of the lab tech assistants and managers bustling about but only a few of them spared him so much as a glance. After a bit of looking he found where Genji was hidden away. The first thing that struck him was the lack of arm. 

 

The place where Genji’s arm had been was, at the moment, a mass of snapped wires and disconnected circuitry. The actual appendage itself sat some way away on a table, a holographic blueprint pulled up alongside another that looked to be a work in progress. Jesse scanned in the span of a second, noticing that the plating gaps he had shoved his fingers into were now gone. His gaze quickly returned to Genji. 

 

They stared at one another for a very long moment, neither of them particularly glaring but certainly were inspecting. Jesse cleared his throat first, trying to act casual about the whole ordeal. The blooming bruises and swelling of Genji’s face sent a familiar trill of cold down his spine that left an indescribable feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

 

“Ya know… I’ve been sittin’, thinkin’. Tryin’ to figure out somethin’ for some time now. Figured that I’d better ask you before you sneak up on me in the middle of the night’er something and push me down a flight of stairs.” It was a bad start. Jesse knew that but the lack of change in Genji’s calculating but calm expression was good enough for him to continue. 

“Why’dya punch me in the first place, huh?” Genji’s answer came nearly immediately. 

 

“You caught me off guard.” The admission was only slightly disarming. Caught him off guard? And so he reacted by popping him in the schnozz? He supposed it made some sense-- he certainly had come close to swinging or shooting people who snuck up on him. A force of habit really. Still, he didn’t think it was entirely possible to catch Genji Shimada off guard. 

 

“Well…” Jesse wasn’t sure what to say now. It all looked sure stupid now, didn’t it. Lihua had been right in saying it was completely uncalled for. Still, the idea that this somehow came around to be his fault set his teeth on edge. Jesse didn’t like taking the blame for things, especially things that weren’t his problem. Genji regarded Jesse as a tense silent took over the room. 

 

“You found a flaw in my design.” Jesse raised his gaze from where it had been slowly drifting down. Genji wasn’t looking at him, but rather staring coolly at his detached arm. His flesh hand tightened into a fist before slowly uncurling. 

 

“I reckon so.” He hadn’t actually said his apology yet, but he felt damned to do so. Instead he played along to whatever Genji was strumming up. 

 

“Doctor Ziegler wants to do a total overhaul of my current modifications. Thanks to your eye opening actions.” Jesse paled as Genji turned his eyes back to him again. He understood what that meant. Back under the knife for Genji Shimada. A chill descended upon him that had his hairs standing on end. A spike of bitterness made him want to hit something. 

 

“Not my fault.” He replied, shrugging the best he could with the invisible weight pressing down upon him. Genji slowly moved and Jesse found himself rooted to the spot suddenly, watching him move closer. 

 

“Leave.” Jesse expected more anger, something to react to with how wound up he was being alone in a room with Genji like this-- but the man just sounded tired. Like he’d had enough for one day and didn’t have it left in him to show anymore of that barely restrained rage Jesse had seen of him earlier. They stared at one another, now only a few feet apart rather than across the space from one another. 

 

“I’d like nothing more. Hope the Doc does somethin’ for your face. Ya look like Hell.” 

 

With that, Jesse turned and started off. His pager was beeping up a storm the second he exited the medbay properly. Athena must’ve passed it on to Gabe that he was done with his treatment. Now came the real shit show.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh? More writing? I would say I'm sorry that the overall quality of all of this is poor but honestly this is a project to get a feel of how I want to portray the characters personally. And also getting handsy with the idea of writing military things, especially covert ops like Blackwatch is supposed to be. Nonetheless!
> 
> If you do enjoy my work, leave a kudos! Or even better, leave a comment! You don't even have to say anything intelligible I accept keysmashes as a form of praise. Don't forget to check out the rest of the works if you're feeling brave. Thanks for reading, and as always-- Addio


End file.
